Only a Little Insane
by Lavender Fleetfoot
Summary: Rose likes Scorpius. Scorpius knows it, but she doesn't know he knows it. Lily knows too, but won't tell. James has surmised because he's that awesome. And Albus just knows everything, or would like to think he does. T for mild language and shenanigans.
1. Conversations With Herself

Rose sighed. She glanced up at the library ceiling and just sat there staring morosely above her. She couldn't concentrate and it was entirely his fault, damn him.

She heard the familiar swishing noise of Al's invisibility cloak, but how could that be? He was in potions and she knew he wouldn't dare miss his favorite class. Rose shook her head in an attempt to clear it because she was probably just tired from studying too much.

She settled back down in her chair and said to herself, "Must be hearing things." She sat in silence contemplating something. And then she continued to talk to herself.

"Lorcan insists that when you talk to yourself, out loud of course, that you can solve problems quicker. I don't know if he's right. He does still believe in Aunt Luna's nargle stories, so you can't say he is the epitome of mental stability, but he is in Ravenclaw and they ARE really good at solving problems."

She sat there in silence trying to figure out how to explain herself about her problem, in order to solve it and maybe get a little more sleep at night.

"You see, err...self, there's this guy."

Unknown to her, an invisible Scorpius froze on his way back from the restricted section. Invisible of course because he was borrowing his fellow Slytherin's cloak while Albus was in Potions.

"I really like him. A lot! He's hilariously funny and has this weird charm about him. He's so...perfect. He's one of the only people here that could rival me in brilliance, and he has a personality unlike the other two."

Scorpius snorted softly. Rose sure was full of herself. He could best her any day, and let us not forget the Ravenclaws.

"Okay, so that's sort of BS. He couldn't rival me in some subjects, like potions, but he has no idea that the only reason I got the best score on the charms final last year was because I made Al copy his notes secretly and give them to me."

Scorpius raised his eyebrows. Rose did something so utterly Slytherin like? Impossible.

She giggled, "and he's just so adorable."

'Merlin,' thought Scorpius, 'Whoever this guy is he must really be something, because Rose has never giggled at something so girly before.'

"And when he smiles at me, oh god his smile, I think, he likes me! He does! But then he looks back at his best friend and keeps on talking to him like I'm just an interruption, nothing to him."

She wrinkles her nose and snorts. "And he's such a man whore."

Scorpius wondered for a moment who the hell she was talking about. People in Hogwarts were not whores. This school had a lot less action for his liking. He glanced up at Rose again and saw her with her head in her hands almost as if she was crying. He hesitated.

"I talk to him every fricken day but he hardly even know I exist. I like him but I hate him at the same time. Its not fair." She sniffs and then sighs once more.

Scorpius takes a step forward and almost whips his cloak off to comfort her-she is his best friend's favorite cousin after all-when he hears ever so softly…

"Damn you Scorpius."

He stops breathing and looks down panicking, thinking that she could see him.

'What? I'm still invisible. How can she know that I'm-'

"Damn you for being so unattainable."

A smile spreads slowly across his face, as he understands what she's saying. He snickers a bit and Rose looks up at the noise.

"Al? It's not that funny. You know you never scare me with your invisibility cloak."

"Rose? Are you talking to yourself?" Al asked as he walked up behind her. Scorpius panics again, but then remembers that he's invisible. He's just that dense sometimes.

"Al? But you…then…what?" Rose blinks confused.

"Are you okay?" Al asks concerned.

"Yeah. Yeah. Fine, I just thought you were under the invisibility cloak. I thought I heard you laughing me…I think I've studied too long. Want to get some fresh air?"

"No, I've got to look something up for potions. Meet you in the Great Hall later?"

"Nah. I'm kind of tired of the Slytherin table, I'll just eat with Lily."

"All right. See you in Charms then." He waved as she left, but didn't fail to notice that she looked back at a certain spot, twice, with an extremely confused look on her face. As soon as she walked out the door he whipped around and glared at the spot Rose was looking at.

"Did you ask to borrow that?"

Scorpius took off the cloak grudgingly. "Weeeeelllll…no. But you just left it out there, and I needed to get some information on a spell in Defense."

"And to spy on my cousin?"

"She was sitting there talking to herself. It's not my fault she's a looney!"

Al looks upset. "She's been a little distracted and off the past few weeks, almost as if she was depressed."

Scorpius shook his head as if he had no clue what was upsetting her either. The only thing that betrayed him was the slightly red tint his face had acquired.

"So lunch then?"

"Yeah. Sure, all that research and spying has made me ravenous."

Al just snorted and Scorpius followed him out of the library.


	2. Tapestry Vision

A week later, in the Great Hall, Scorpius was a bit distracted. And he, as many people do, had a habit of staring off into space blankly when they were thinking hard about something, space that just "happened" to be concentrated around the Gryffindor table. Albus, noticing the lack of conversation coming from his comrade, could tell that something was amiss.

"What seem to be the problem mate? What's so distracting that you won't even talk to me? I was talking about Quidditch. You LOVE Quidditch." It was true, Scorpius had a natural affinity for the sport and was Slytherin's prized Chaser.

Scorpius continued to ignore Al and remained in his own little world.

Al sighed in defeat, unable to engage his distracted companion in conversation, he curiously followed Scorpius' gaze.

SMACK.

Scorpius rubbed the back of his head, "Ow! Bloody Hell? Fine! I'll converse about your stupid Quidditch. For Merlin's sake!" he sounded quite like a little girl.

"No. No, we will not talk, OR converse about Quidditch until you tell me why in the name of Merlin's most saggy Y-fronts you are staring at the Gryffindor table."

"I'm-I'm not. There's a lovely tapestry over yonder."

Al looks up and then back at Scorpius.

"Are you serious? I'm not dense. There is no tapestry."

"You must not have tapestry vision."

"You, my friend are a terrible liar."

"Am not." Whined Scorpius. "I wasn't really staring AT anything. You know I do that when I'm thinking."

"So what were you thinking about so intently that it left you no interest in the new plays I've come up with for our game against Ravenclaw?"

"Nothing much." Scorpius lied. In truth he had been thinking about what Rose had said in the Library last week. It hurt a little, to be honest. Of course he didn't think that Rose was just an interruption. She was his best friend's favorite cousin so he saw her everyday at school for the past six years, and quite a few times during the breaks. Sure they never really became good friends, but he always had an odd sense of respect for her. She was a great Quidditch player, the top student in their year, and somehow still had time for all her cousins and their crazy problems. So why didn't he like her? Scorpius had gone out with quite a few girls before, why not her?

Albus sighed resumed eating, in silence.

It took him all lunch, but Scorpius finally decided it was because she was a Weasley. His father barely tolerated a Potter as his best mate; even then it was only because it helped his family's image, and therefore his father's image as well. Though he hated to admit it, Scorpius craved his father's attention and acceptance, which was something very hard to get because his father was extremely self-centered. Rose was something he couldn't touch, from fear of the wrath of his father and her numerous relatives, and as a Slytherin, a house that encourages self-preservation, Scorpius did not have the guts to try. But Merlin help him if he wasn't tempted.

Once Scorpius reached his conclusion he turned over to Albus, whom he found was preoccupied with someone.

"Want to play some Quidditch later?" Rose asked Albus.

Apparently Scorpius was not the only one to have stealthy skills.

"Certainly." Smiled Al. "Can Scorp come?"

Scorpius answered quickly, "I can't make it. I need to study for the Charms test coming up soon."

Rose gave him a determined, challenging sort of smile and turned around to leave. Al glanced back at Scorpius gave a shrug, gathered his books, and caught up to Rose.

"Hey Rosie? What's the matter? You've been a little off the past few weeks."

"It's just…." Rose hesitated. "It's just stress and tests and such."

"Rosie, you don't sound too convinced about that. And the next test we have isn't for another three days, including the weekend! You'll have plenty of time to study, don't worry about it."

"But Al, Scorpius is already studying for the Charms test and you know that's my worst subject! I need to start studying as soon as possible."

Al grabbed her shoulders and spun her around to face him. "Tell me what's wrong. 'Cause I'm not buying the whole studying thing. You have a schedule, you started studying for it last week didn't you?"

"Uhhh, no…" Rose stared straight ahead as she walked so as not to make eye contact with her cousin. She'd started studying last Thursday, but she needed an excuse to explain why she was acting so weird.

"Please tell me what's wrong Rosie." Albus pleaded. He just could not understand why his cousin had to be so difficult and refuse to talk about what ever was bothering her. He knew she could handle studying, and he knew the look on her face was not stress. It was sadness. There was obviously something else going on.

She sighed frustrated. "You wouldn't understand Al."

He scoffed. "Try me."

Rose just shook her head and walked away leaving her cousin standing and irate in the middle of the hallway.

"Why is everyone so bloody insane?" Al huffed and stormed to his least favorite class, History of Magic.


	3. Bloody Idiot

Albus was in History of Magic. Usually paying attention was easy for him because he found this class very interesting, but today he had given up paying attention to the preposterously boring Professor five minutes into the class. Albus was instead was thinking hard about how to solve everyone's weirdness and problems. He was quite good at it sometimes. Although he himself was weird and had numerous problems, he usually joined Rose as one of the unofficial counselors of their large family.

Suddenly his eyes flew open and he sat up straight in his chair-"I'm a bloody idiot!"-He exclaimed.

The entire class in a show of energy unusual for a class of Professor Binns', turned around and glared at Albus, he just interrupted their lovely day dreams.

"Care to inform us why you consider yourself of unfit mental status Mr. Potter?" Droned Professor Binns.

"I'm oblivious sir." Replied Al.

The rest of the class turned back around and returned to their varying states of slumber. Albus' existential struggles did not bother them nor require participation.

"Oh don't be so hard on yourself Mr. Potter, the Goblin wars are very complicated and require much studying, perhaps you should consult your wonderful cousin Rose."

"Er, yes sir, I will sir."

And with that Albus turned back to his empty paper and quickly began scribbling mysteriously. He stayed that way for the rest of class, leaning back and grinning at the paper like a mad man every once in a while. Albus was like that when he was thinking up his weirdest plans. He ran out of class as soon as the bell rang.

* * *

Scorpius moodily looked out the window and glared at the rain. Scorpius hated rain, snow too. I guess you could say that Scorpius hated all forms of precipitation. But that, sadly, is not the point. The point is that Divination was quite possibly the most boring class ever.

"Scorpy?" His wandering thoughts were interrupted with a quiet voice that was impossibly high pitched.

"Yes Angela?" Apparently his Divination partner had realized his lack of participation.

"Uh-class is over...Are you okay? You look distracted." That was an understatement.

"Er-it's just...exams an stuff."

She raised an eyebrow and winked flirtatiously, which is more difficult than it sounds. "I can help you study."

Scorpius stared at her dumbly for a few seconds. "Uh no, I'm good thanks."

Angela huffed and stalked off. Scorpius did not reject her very often and she didn't take it easily. She'd get over it soon enough. Rose would find her later that night in a broom cupboard with Josiah Goyle.

Scorpius stood up and hurried off to his next class, History of Magic. Despite being dead, and a ghost, Professor Binns had an affinity for catching late students as they were sneaking in. He had almost reached the door when someone grabbed his bag.

"Al! What was-that for? I'm-have to go-going to-late." Scorpius wheezed.

"Quick then!" Albus shoved a piece of parchment into Scorpius' hands and skipped off to enjoy his free period in the comfort of the Slytherin common room.

"Bloody wanker." Scorpius huffed as he walked into class. "Made me late."

"Watch your language Malfoy! 5 points from Slytherin. And an extra 10 for coming in so late." Professor Binns had a scowl that was extremely unbecoming for a ghost.

Scorpius gulped nervously and sat down. "Sorry sir." Ghosts are not Scorpius' favorite dead things, however, he did have to argue they are better than spiders. Anything is better than spiders.

He settled down to read the paper Albus had so rudely thrust upon him. Surely Al would have taken some wonderful notes he could copy later. Right?

* * *

**Hope you like it so far! DFTBA**

**~Lavender**


	4. Toast

_Al's writing._

Narration

* * *

_Dear Scorpy,_

_I know everything. Yes, everything. I know the nickname your mom when you were three. I mean OBVIOUSLY. Scorpy? I'm not gay._

Scorpius shook his head. The number of girls Albus kissed you'd think he wouldn't have to tell people that. It was Albus' own fault though. He is pretty flamboyant.

_I know all about that time when you nicked your father's broom when you were five._

A smile spread across Scorpius' face at the happy memory, it was the first time he had ever flown. "It's a good thing dad never found out about that. He'd skin me alive for being so 'careless'."

_I knew you were there today in the library under the cloak. I also know you stole my last chocolate frog. You owe me._

_So, tell me. Did you really thing you could date my cousin without me knowing? I mean come on! I'm not an idiot! Let me tell you right now that this was the stupidest thing you could have done_._ Her dad finds out? Bam. You're toast. Anymore of my relatives find out? Bam. You're toast. You hurt her? I won't think twice. Not even me, who knows EVERYTHING. TOAST!_

At this point Scorpius stopped reading for a few minutes; he was so shocked that Al would think something so stupid. He hardly even talked to Rose, she was the one that was bloody in love with him, not the other way around!

_The only way you'll get out of this alive and unscathed is if Rose breaks up with YOU. Good luck with that. Merlin knows she's in love with you. Even if she does break up with you Uncle Ron might explode with anger at finding out his little "angel" was going against his wishes and eat you. Well, not eat you, but do you much bodily harm._

_Peace & Love,_  
_Al_

_P.S. Ignore the love._  
_P.P.S. Well only a little_  
_P.P.P.S. But seriously, I'm not kidding. TOAST._  
_P.P.P.P.S. BURNT TOAST!_

Scorpius started shaking with laughter but he had to hold it in, Binns would kill him! Well maybe not, he is just a ghost. Scorpius focused on breathing regularly as much as he could and barely made it to the end of class before he burst into laughter.

* * *

**So Al is, you know, special and stuff :) He's pretty weird lets just put it that way, but not gay by the way. Nope, he likes girls. Very much.**

**Reviews make me edit faster ;)**

**Peace, love, and burnt toast  
~Lavender**


	5. Mud in the Sky

Rose was walking down the hall way to Charms, minding her own business but at the same time still scanning the hallway for troublemakers. Being a prefect isn't something you turn off and on you know. Amid the regular noise of scuffing shoes, the latest gossip, and the sounds of hundreds of teenagers passing through a small corridor, was maniacal laughter.

"Merlin's pants, what's so funny?" Rose thought, "Maybe Professor Slughorn has finally cracked..." Rose picked up her pace just in case her ancient professor really did have a few too many Felix Felicitouses

As she got closer to the noise she realized it was Scorpius, not Slughorn, that appeared to have jumped off the deep end, he was practically crying he was laughing so hard.

She decided to stop and make sure her favorite cousin's best friend hadn't actually lost it.

"Scorpius?" Rose asked. "Are you feeling okay? Did James or Al hit you with a overzealous Tickling charm again?"

He stopped laughing long enough to give her a munificent grin and handed her a piece of parchment paper.

'Damn, his smile is perfect,' she thought. And then read the paper he had shoved in to her hands.

And read it again.  
And again.  
And again.

A smile slowly spread across her face, and after the fourth time re-reading her ridiculous cousin's note to Scorpius, she threw her head back and laughed right along with Scorpius.

After a few minutes and more than a few odd stares from the passing students Rose managed to regain her composure.

"Merlin help me, that boy is CRAZY. Where in the world does he get these insane ideas?"

Scorpius shrugged and laughed a bit more, but thought to himself, "Insane, why does she think it's so insane? I thought she liked me!"

"Completely off his rocker that boy is."

It was Al who interrupted their laughter.

"Is something funny or did James hit you two with a tickling charm again?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest.

Scorpius solemnly shook his head no, but Rose let out an uncharacteristic squeak and let a giggle escape.

"Al I just…just, WTF? Really? You write the weirdest notes, and if Scorpius and I started to "secretly date" you be the first to know. And why the hell would you think we were secretly dating anyways? Despite sharing a best friend, we barely know each other. Also the mere suggestion that I would have a secret boyfriend is a little insane. You know I don't care what other people thing about me. Why would I hide it?"

Al shrugged nonchalantly. "Well you two have been out of it lately and kind of secretive, so I put two and two together."

"And some how came up with fish?" Rose joked.

Scorpius laughed and Al pointed at him and shouted, "See! You're acting like a couple!"

"Are not!" They said at the same time. They gave each other an awkward glance and turned away, both a little bit pinker.

"Riiiiiight." Said Al, skeptically. "That doesn't explain the out of it and secretiveness."

"Well, I can't speak for Scorpius, but I've been hiding up in my common room studying, hence the "secretiveness", and I've been staying up late doing homework, which explains my "out of it-ness. "

"And you Scorpius?"

"I've been hiding in the library, and staying up late listening to music or sneaking off to the kitchens, and, you know occasionally I'll have to stay up super late working on homework." He embarrassedly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Really Scorpius?" Albus was shocked. Nay, flabbergasted. "You are, and I quote, a man whore. You don't go to the library or stay up late doing homework!"

"Oh shut up, can't I do both?"

"No." Al said, scrunching his nose petulantly.

"Well I have to! My dad said he's offering a job to the top student in my class, and if it's not me 'oh well', I'd have to find some other law firm that's the best in business. Anyways, I have to study a lot for NEWTs so my father didn't disown me."

"But those aren't until next year!"

"But Al!" Rose interjected. "The exams this year are basically just practice for next year! If you don't do well on those you might not do well on the NEWTs."

"HUMPH!" Al glared at both of them. "You two are no fun." Rose rolled her eyes.

Albus suddenly remembered something and his eyes lit up. "Rosie mah darlin'." He exclaimed in a drawling fake southern American accent.

"OH BOY." Rosie groaned. Albus tended to talk in weird accents when he wanted a favor.

"I need to borrow your History of Magic notes from last class."

"What? Al! I needed your notes!" Scorpius glared at his best friend for being so irresponsible, momentarily forgetting that he probably shouldn't be so upset because he did the same thing.

"You can borrow my notes after Al." Rose rolled her eyes again. 'Honestly, how hard is it to take some notes?'

"Is the Quidditch thing still on?" Al asked interrupting her thoughts. "Its been raining all day and its really muddy."

"Since when was mud in the sky?" She shot back exasperated.

"But my hair!"

"Oh, honestly Albus! You're such a girls sometimes!"

Al grumbled and yelled out, "FINE! RUIN MY HAIR!"

"I love you Al!" She called back sweetly as she turned the corner in the direction of her common room.

Albus turned to Scorpius and wiggled his eyebrows.

"What?" Scorpius stared at Al a little freaked out.

Al laughed, winked and headed towards the direction of the Slytherin dorms.

"WHAT?"

* * *

**Wheee...more editing. On to the next chapter :) Please review, if you feel so inclined! DFTBA**

**~Lavender  
**


	6. Fairy Freaking God Mother

At exactly 4:00 in the afternoon of that same extremely rainy day Rose tromped down to the Quidditch pitch to meet her slightly insane cousin Albus. Rose wasn't in a particularly good mood, but she wasn't in a particularly bad mood either. Rain usually makes her sad. Rose loves the sunrises in the morning and a rainy day messes up the sunrise and makes Rose quite morose in the morning of rainy days. Some days Albus cheers her up, and others James or Hugo pull a poorly timed prank and she's grumpy for the rest of the day. Thankfully on this day Albus reached her before James or Hugo.

Rose finally reached the pitch a lot wetter and waved to her slightly odd cousin Albus Severus Potter. He waved back.

"Hellllllo my beautiful cousin Albus! Your hair looks simply scrumptious!" Rose pretended to swoon.

Al, being the mature one, stuck out his tongue.

"Soooooo, Rosie, how's your boyfr-I MEAN-your homework?"

Rose narrowed her eyes suspiciously and tossed him the quaffle. "Alright. Professor Scamander just assigned us a four foot essay on the plausibility of Nargles."

Al snorted and attempted to score on Rose. He failed. "I'm not surprised that him and Aunt Luna got married. He is a barmy one!" Rose tossed him the quaffle back and he tried again, but failed a second time to get the ball through the hoop.

"Have you seen Lily with Lorcan? They are just so adorable!" She flashed him a devilish smile.

"Oh, yes lovely." Al said sarcastically. "I just love seeing those two all over each other in the Great Hall."

"You should see what they do in the Common Room!" Al grew drastically paler. Rose laughed and he realized she was joking.

"It seems like everyone's got a boyfriend by me these days." He pretended to sigh longingly.

"Oh shut up Al!" Rose cried and brought her broom to a halt right in front of him. "I can't believe you wrote that note! That was so embarrassing! I know you're planning something, because there's no way you would actually think Scorpius and I were actually dating."

"Scheme?" Albus asked innocently. "Whatever do you mean? ME scheming? NO! Surely you must be mistaken!"

"Hilarious." Rose rolled her eyes.

Al laughed. "Why is it so hard to believe that I actually thought that? You guys would be great together."

"You don't have to convince me." She grumbled under her breath.

Albus wiggled his eyebrows. "I know."

"You do?"

"Um...yes, hello? Why do you think I call myself Al the omnipotent?"

"Because you're strange?"

"NO! Because I know EVERYTHING!"

"Do you know that you're really strange?"

"Yes! Merlin! That's so obvious Rose!" Al responded faking annoyance. "But seriously, I didn't write that to convince you I wrote that to convince Scorpius."

"Why?"

"Because I could tell he liked you but just needed a little push."

Rose was silent for a few minutes as they tossed the quaffle back and forth.

"I dunno Albus. I can't go out with him yet."

"WHAT? But you're practically in love with the guy!"

"No I'm not." Rose rolled her eyes. "I mean, he is VERY attractive, smart, and charming. Plus I might have a massive crush on him… I just don't want to date him until I really know him. I don't want to make a rash decision and find out he really is a just a Slytherin twat like the rest of our family thinks."

"HEY! My parents like him, and James and Lily agree he is alright."

"How do you think my dad would react if we did start dating? Or granddad, or the rest of the uncles?"

"PFFFFFFT. Screw them."

"Al! You know I'm not like that! They're my family and I can't just disregard what they think entirely."

"Yeah, but they don't know him like we do. They think his favorite thing to do is hate on muggles, little do they know he'd rather just HIT on them." Albus snickered.

"ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER!" Rose snapped.

"Fiiiiine, maybe not ALL of them. The hot ones at least."

"Ugh, can we please return to the matter at hand here? You know, your silly, ill-conceived plans and all?"

Al sighed defeated and thought for a few minutes. "Fine...maybe I could somehow arrange for you two to maybe hang out and possibly become friends...and lovers." He dodged a quaffle and laughed. "Alright, so not lovers...YET!"

Rose just rolled her eyes. It was all she could do. She had already thrown the quaffle.

"Does that mean yes?" Al asked. "Cause I've got to go to dinner and plant the seeds of LUUUUUUURVE."

"Ugh...Fine."

"YES! I feel like a fairy freaking god mother!"

"And you wonder why people question your sexuality." Rose grumbled under her breath.

"Lates!" Screamed Al as he performed a magnificent dive and landed, without crashing, on the pitch.


	7. The Returner of Notes

Six almost uneventful days later, Albus and Scorpius sat in a dimly lit corner of the Slytherin common room, it was dark enough to make them look mysterious to their hordes of adoring admires, but light enough to allow them to do their homework. They had always sat in this particular corner of the common room and little did they know so had Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape, and even Tom Riddle Jr.

Actually, if Scorpius had known that his father had frequented this corner during his stay at Hogwarts he would have moved immediately. Since fourth year he had strived to be different from his father. His slicked back hair was the first to go; now he just let his platinum blond hair do its own thing, with an occasional hair cut. This annoyed Al to no end. Al has never liked messy hair on the basis that it reminds him of HIS father. Al's obsession with neat hair annoyed Scorpius because he hogs the bathroom forever in the morning primping his hair so it was absolutely perfect.

"Done!" Cried Al slamming his Transfiguration book closed. He leaned back and let out a deep contented sigh.

"Great!" His companion shuffled though a pile of papers and held out a set of notes written in meticulous handwriting. "Can you take these back to Rose? I finished coping them a little while ago and she gave them to you like a week ago."

"Nope." Al replied his eyes already closed.

"Right. Silly me. **TAKE** these notes back to Rose." Scorpius paused waiting for Al to give his consent. "Please?"

"Forceful and then pleading? Talk about split-personality disorder."

"Of course buddy! Will you take them?" Scorpius pleaded some more.

Al pretended to be asleep.

Scorpius poked him and he let out a soft snore.

"FINE! Git. I do have other things to do you know!" Al remained motionless. "You suck Al, you really do." Scorpius turned on his heel and stormed out of the common room to give Rose back her notes.

It was a good thing that Scorpius had left because if he had stayed he might have blown a gasket when Al got up, walked across the room and started flirting with a fifth year that he had seen eying him. He defiantly would have when they started making out. Chaste Al was not.

* * *

Scorpius smacked himself on the head.

Why did Al have to be so stupid? How was he supposed to find Rose? He should have asked Al for the map, although that might not have helped if it wasn't Al's week for the map. And if she was in the Gryffindor common room how was he supposed to get in?

His eyes grew wide with horror when he imagined himself opening the door and asking for Rose. He might get beat up by Fred, Hugo, or one of the other of the masses of Weasleys! He had been Al's best friend for years and they still gave him the cold shoulder when he was around. What would happen when they thought he was going out with their sister/cousin?

"I hate you Al, hate, hate, hate, Hate, HATE." Scorpius stormed past the library.

A little ways past it he froze mid-step and turned on his heel. It was obvious really. A Saturday afternoon? Rose was definitely in the library.

* * *

Rose was deep in her studies, well...when I say deep I mean she had set her books up like a fort to block the sunlight streaming in from the nearby window and had fallen asleep. She had finished all her homework the night before but had nothing to do as the Hufflepuff team, taking advantage of the sunny day, had booked the Quidditch pitch.

She was enjoying a lovely dream about winning the Quidditch house cup and Scorpius sweeping her off her feet because she was just so bloody awesome. Which was why Scorpius noticed a small smile on her face. He was laughing not so silently to himself when Rose's head snapped up.

She rubbed her eyes. "What's so funny? "She suddenly blushed and asked, "I wasn't talking in my sleep again was I?"

"Er...no" Scorpius trailed off, wondering if this was a regular problem for her, which lead to images in his head of her in bed, which lead to a slight blush on his cheeks as well.

"What was so funny then?"

"I just..." He laughed again. "Even the Great Rose Weasley falls asleep while studying!"

She looked at him for a moment attempting to comprehend why he had called her "the Great" and replied, "I wasn't studying. I was sleeping."

"On purpose?" He looked confused.

"Yes, unfortunately these are the measures one must take when one has loud roommates who stay up gossiping in the late hours and then sleep in, snoring atrociously loud, until 3:00 in the afternoon." She sighed dramatically.

"Wow, didn't know you had it so rough!" He exclaimed, playfully mocking her self-pity. "Do you mind if I sit here?" He pointed to a seat across from her.

"Uh, yeah sure." She paused awkwardly as he sat down. "I have to ask though. Did Al put you up to this?"

"Urggh, yes." Scorpius made a face as if he tasted something sour. "I asked him, politely, to give you your notes back and he pretended to be asleep!"

"My notes?" Rose replied blankly a little confused. She was still a little groggy from her nap.

"OH! Uh-yeah, here." He shuffled through the bag he had haphazardly stuffed the notes in before he stormed out of his common room. "Hang on, there in here some-AH, here they are." He handed them to her. "Sorry it took so long. Al had them for several days and then I was too busy trying to write the essay on nargles that Professor Scamander gave us."

"Yeah." Laughed Rose. "Uncle Rolf is an odd one. That's probably why he and Aunt Luna are such a good pair."

"I've never really understood that, how are they your aunt and uncle? Which one is a blood relative?"

"Neither. They're family friends though. Aunt Luna went to school with my parents and stuff. Hasn't Al ever explained that?"

"Nah. Never asked."

"Mmm."

"Right." Said Scorpius sensing an impending awkward moment. "Do you think you could help me with something?"

"Sure." Rose looked at him a little funny. What could he possibly need help with?

"I-I-oh Merlin. This is embarrassing." He hid his face in his hands.

"Is it? So embarrassing I'd spread it around school because, you know, I'm obviously that kind of person?"

"Uh, well no, but embarrassing enough that Al would probably laugh at me."

"I can help. Probably. Maybe. I think?" She paused. "Oh just spit it out! What do you need help with?"

"Potions."

"Potions?" She suppressed a giggle.

"Oh come off it!" He said exasperated. "Yeah. Potions. Its not like I could tell Al that without him laughing his skinny arse off. And if he did help me he'd treat me like an idiot!"

"Right, yeah, it was a good idea not telling him. He's a terrible teacher too. Glad he doesn't want to become a potions master because I wouldn't have the heart to tell him he's crap at teaching."

"Remember when he tutored that first year last semester?"

Rose winced. "At least the nurse was able to cure that nasty rash."

"The look on McGonagall's face when she found out! Classic!"

"How did you see her face?" Rose cocked her head. She didn't quite see Scorpius as the type to have meetings with the Headmistress by choice.

"Meeting with my parents about my grades." He rubbed the back of his neck because it was suddenly quite hot. Somehow admitting his slight failures to the smartest girl in his year made him embarrassed.

"You're third in our year! How could that warrant a meeting with Headmistress McGonagall about grades?"

"Only the top two get to be head boy and girl."

"Wow, your parents really want you to succeed."

"I know. It's really annoying sometimes. I mean, I want to be me, do the things that _I_ want to do. Like trying out for the chess team or NOT having an arranged marriage. I do want to follow my dad's footsteps in his law firm, but beyond that I don't want to be like him at all." I just want to be myself, but they won't let me! It's my life! Let me live it like _I_ want to! I know they want me to do well and I appreciate that, but they treat me like a child! Like I might make the same mistakes that they made, or worse! They were so mad when they found out that I was best friends with their enemy's son! I told them I'd run away if they told me I couldn't be friends with him. He was the only one that accepted me at first! My first few weeks here was spent entirely in class, the Great Hall, or hiding under my bed!" He heaved a great sigh and sat back down, not even noticing that he had stood up in the heat of his monologue.

Rose looked a little taken aback, but nodded her head as if she understood.

"Right." He said again shuffling through his bag. "Sorry about the angst. Teenage-y stuff, I'm sure you understand."

She gave him a weak smile. She knew all **too** well about teenage-y stuff.

"MY WORD!"

"Crap."

"CRAP INDEED MISTER MALFOY! OUT NOW! AND YOU TOO MISS. WEASLEY! YOU MUST FIND SOMETHING MORE APPROPRIATE TO DO THAN RATE LIKE THAT IN MY LIBRARY! I WON'T HAVE IT! **OUT**!" Miss. Pince slammed the door behind them.

"I don't think she's realized she just made more of a racket than we did?" Asked Scorpius risking a sideways glance at Rose as they walked outside.

"Definitely not." Laughed Rose. "God I hate it when she does that. My dad said she's worse than her mum."

"Her mum? Really! So it's like a family thing they've got going on there."

"Guess so."

"Her mum. Wow. I wonder...who was the father?"

Rose furrowed her brow. "I don't know. I wonder… Who'd marry the librarian at Hogwarts?"

"Who said they were married?" Scorpius wiggled his eyebrows; Rose smacked him with her bag. "Ow!" He rubbed his shoulder pouting. "I'm just saying accidents happen! OW!"

Rose shrugged and deadpanned. "Accidents happen." Scorpius poked her side. "OI! Watch it!"

"I swear I saw a bug there!"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Sure you did."

"Yup."

Rose waited until they were outside to get her revenge.

"AGHH!" Scorpius faked an elaborate fall.

Rose laughed and shrugged. "I saw a spider, I swear!"

"Prove it!"

She lifted up her shoe and showed him the squished spider. Just because she was getting revenge didn't mean she couldn't squish a bug while she was at it.

He shivered. "Oh, well thanks. Can't stand spiders."

"Neither can I. Nasty little creatures." She sat down in the cool grass and leaned against the trunk of their chosen tree. "Now, potions..."

* * *

**Sorry its taken me so long. Again. Its the snow. I can definitely blame the snow. Not for much, but for a little at least.**

**This chapter was a little hard to write but I enjoyed it :) I hope you did too. You should tell me whether you did or not (HINTHINT).**

**Next chapter? Who knows. It could be up next Saturday. It could be up in three Saturdays. I'm a little inconsistent.**

**Any who. Love ya lots :)**

**~Lavander**

**P.S.-heehee :) you can blame Doctor Who for my procrastination too. I've been watching some of David Tennant's earlier episodes all day.**


	8. The Cloak Thief Strikes Again

Scorpius looked as his watch anxiously for the tenth time in the past five minutes. It had been a month since he had asked Rose for help in potions. They met whenever they could but it still wasn't enough for him. There was no question in his mind now that he liked her. Plus, his grade in Potions was up to an O.

"What, do you have a date or something?" Albus looked at him suspiciously.

Scorpius looked up from where he was attempting to make it look like he wasn't pacing. For a fraction of a second he looked nervous, but just as quickly he returned to his normal cool and collected demeanor. However fast the nervous look was, his best friend did not miss it. "No. Not tonight."

Albus scoffed. "The way you and Rose try to pretend like I don't notice something is up insults my intelligence."

Scorpius ignored him, took one last glace around the common room in which he was currently not pacing and grabbed his bag. "I'm going to the library."

"Scorpy," Albus whined, "It's seven o'clock on a Saturday night! What'll I do without my wing man?"

"I don't know? Not get a girl?" He smirked and threw a noncommittal wave over his shoulder as he walked out.

Albus narrowed his eyes and sneaked upstairs to find his cloak, obviously forgetting that he didn't have to sneak through his own house's common room.

* * *

Scorpius scanned the library, looking for Rose. He spotted her familiar curly auburn hair at a table near the restricted section. He sighed relieved that she hadn't stood him up.

'Stand me up? Where did that come from? It's not like this is a date or something. Right?' He questioned his own conscious. 'I'm getting as barmy as Al. Besides why would she stand me up? I'm awesome.' Ahh yes, there was that self-confidence flooding back to him. He felt a little better as he took a seat next to her. 'Good thing I stole Al's cloak though. Don't want him getting any ideas.'

Rose's head went up as he sat down. She closed her book a bit reluctantly. It wasn't that she wasn't glad to see him; she was just getting to the good part. As she always seemed to do when she was interrupted.

"Did you look up all that stuff I told you to?"

"Yes professor." He smirked, but then smiled for real. "Professor Mathis told me I have improved drastically."

"Great!" Rose smiled back. "But you still have a lot to learn. No ma'am we will not be shouting today."

Of course that last part wasn't directed to Scorpius but at Miss. Pince. Who, even after a month of calm visits, still treated Scorpius as a time bomb about to go off. Miss. Pince narrowed her eyes and returned to shelving her books. She couldn't help but wonder why Rose was with that Malfoy boy. She didn't like him at all. She bet he wrote in all his books. In INK.

Scorpius' shoulders had visibly drooped when Rose had said that he had a lot more to learn.

"A lot?" He questioned praying that she was joking.

"Yes. I'm sorry, but you're atrocious at potions. How did you not fail out of it before?"

"Al was always in my class. He whispered directions to me when the professor wasn't looking."

"My mother did the same thing with Professor Longbottom when they were in school." She laughed.

"Well that can't be so bad. He's a professor now!"

Rose shook her head. "Professor of Herbology. You don't need potions for that and he quit Potions as soon as he could." She paused a moment. "You can't be so bad, you're very smart."

"And adorable."

"And modest too." She laughed not realizing he was quoting her when she broke down in the library not that long ago. However Rose very much realized he was flirting with her, so that explained her blush.

* * *

Albus stormed up to the Gryffindor tower.

"The bloody wanker! He stole my cloak! MINE! My own best friend."

He continued muttering until he reached the portrait hole and knocked until someone answered.

"Hey there stranger!" Cried Lily after she had flung the door open.

"Hey there Lily-kins!" Al smiled at his younger sister. "I need to talk to James. Its urgent."

"Alright. Just one question though, have you seen Rose? I thought she was with you, but I guess not."

"Uh. Err. Library?" He hoped she wouldn't go looking for her. He didn't want anyone else to catch them in the act. It might be messy.

She nodded her head. "Yeah I guess. She's been there a lot lately though."

He smiled at her weakly. "Lily, any other time I would love to converse about the oddity that is Rose, but I really need to talk to James."

"Alight." She sighed. "He's over there." She pointed at a chair by the fire. James had that girl on his lap again. "If you need me I'm going to the Library to read."

"Don't stay too long!" He yelled over his shoulder before walking over to his older brother. "We need to talk."

"Albus!" James beamed. "How are you?"

"Lovely. Really. NOW."

James took one look at his younger brother and knew that he meant business. He sighed and got up out of his chair and with a wink told the girl he'd be right back.


	9. Secret Mission: Pudding

"So, what is it?" James asked half annoyed, half concerned. His brother usually wasn't so serious.

"I need the map."

"Al! It's my week! You know that! You'll have to wait until next week to sneak out."

"James, please!" Albus pleaded. "I only need it for a half an hour."

"Why?"

"Uhhhmmm. Its a secret."

James looked at Al with a scowl on his face. "Fine." He huffed. "If it's sooo important."

Albus nodded with a serious look on his face and James stomped up to his dorm to fetch the Marauder's map.

Roxie, another one of Albus' numerous cousins, wandered over and asked him why he was in the Gryffindor common room and not the dungeons.

"Secret mission."

"OOOO! I love those! Can I come?" She hopped from foot to foot excitedly.

"I dunno. You're only a third year, can you handle it?"

"YES!" She cried indignantly. "What's the mission?"

Albus smiled. "I'll tell you later."

Roxie pouted. "No fair."

Albus looked around to check for eavesdroppers and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Three minutes after I leave sneak out the portrait hole, if anyone asks say you're going down to the kitchens."

"Then what?"

"I'll be waiting behind that suit of armor with the red feather plume."

"The one that always sings Jingle Bells during Christmas?"

"Not so much singing as butchering." Albus' ears ached just thinking about it.

She nodded eagerly and went back to where Lily was sitting, chatting with a few other girls.

James clattered down the stairs and shoved the yellowing wrinkled piece of parchment in his hands.

"Where ever you're going bring me back some pudding."

Albus mumbled, "Aye-aye captain."

"I can't heeeear you!" James called back in his salty pirate accent.

"AYE-AYE CAPTAIN"

"Fare the well Corneal!"

Albus turned around and gave him a brisk salute before slamming the portrait door shut.

"What are you all looking at?" James called. The Gryffindors when back to whatever they were doing. The Potter boys were just too much sometimes.

* * *

As she promised Roxie slipped out after Albus under the guise that she was going to get something to eat. No one questioned it. Her appetite was as voracious as her Uncle Ron's.

"Well, what's it all about?" She asked excitedly.

"You put your right leg, in you put your right leg out, you put your ri-Ow! Fine!"

"Seriously Al? What the F-"

"OI!" Al cried covering her mouth.

"What?"

"First, never ever ask me what its all about or any variation of that. That will be your answer. Second, don't start cussing! Your mum will find out and then blame me or James or one of the other ones and then OUR mums'll get involved. I swear they're in cahoots!"

Roxie just wrinkled her nose at him. "Hurry uuuuup."

"Urg, fine. Rose and Scorpius are sneaking behind my back and I need them to not to. So I'm gonna sneak up on them." He smiled at her proud of himself.

She looked at him like he was an idiot. "Really? Our Rose? Our Rosie?" Roxie didn't know weather to laugh or cry. "Albus I thought you knew her better than that! I mean she's had a boyfriend once, and that was for like a month. And she would never do something like that because you would find out and it would cut into her studying time!"

"What? No. They are."

"No, they aren't"

"Yes, they are. Look at the map!"

"So they're in the library together. Wow, I doubt she's helping him with his marks. I mean he's such a good student." Roxie got her sarcasm from her mother. Her mother was very proud of it.

"No he's not. Oh...I see what you did there." Al has a habit of being gullible; he never knows when someone's being sarcastic. Though in this case Roxie was right, Scorpius was an excellent student, but also very good at pretending he wasn't. Also Albus wasn't allowed to tell anyone that his best friend was just as smart as Rose; Scorpius had a reputation to uphold. "But why wouldn't he ask me for help? I've got just as good of marks as Rose and I'm his best friend."

"Remember that incident with the first year?"

"Oh yeah." He had been meaning to ask that kid if the scars had healed well. Albus sighed. "Well there goes my night."

"Mmhmm." Roxie sighed too; disappointed her spy mission was suddenly unnecessary. "Want some pudding?"

"Hell yeah!"

They snuck off humming the Mission Impossible theme song because neither was willing to give up their dream of a secret mission that night. James didn't get his pudding, but Al did get a funny shaped rash on his bum a few days later. It looked suspiciously like a bowl of pudding.

* * *

Mean while back at the library Rose pulled herself away from Scorpius to take a much needed breath. Her lips weren't lonely for long and were soon occupied doing something that made her brain melt.

* * *

**Catch the Spongebob reference? Trust me I have the song stuck in my head right now . I'm also not happy with the kiss scene. It needs work but that was the best I could do.**

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I blame lack of inspiration, homework, and One Piece. I swear the manga is a drug.**

**~Lavender**


	10. Meanwhile, in the Library

"So you always have to remember not to add the newts eye _right_ after the bat skin, otherwise the potion would explode."

"Okay."

Rose paused and looked over at him. His hand was supporting his chin and he was staring at her, obviously not listening to a word she had said. She snapped her fingers a few times.

"Are you paying attention."

"Okay."

"Hellllloooooo? Anyone home? What's wrong?"

"You eyes are really distracting."

Rose looked at him in a mixture of shock and confusion.

Scorpius leaned in and kissed her right on the lips. Rose sat there for a fraction of a second in surprise before she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

After a while Rose realized something and pulled out of the kiss. "We can't do this here!"

"Oh...err..." Scorpius looked a little upset because he thought she meant they couldn't kiss ever.

She blushed furiously and continued, "I know a closet..."

"SOLD!" In one swift movement he grabbed her hand and all of their books and tried to look nonchalant while practically jogging out of the library.

A figure in an armchair in the corner was frozen in surprise with her mouth hanging open.

"Lily? LILY? HELLLLOOOO? EARTH TO LILY?"

Lily shook her head to clear it and looked at the person yelling at her. "Oh hey Lorcan."

He sat down in the chair next to her. "You look like you just saw something very disturbing or surprising. Does this have anything to do with Rose and Scorpius trying very hard to not look like they were racing in the same direction?" Lorcan might be odd but he was very perceptive, something he got from his mother.

"Well I just came down here to read you know. My brother had that girl on his lap again. VERY DISTURBING. And then I see Rose tutoring Scorpius. I figured, you know, he's not very bright, she is, she's tutoring him. Then he snogged her. It's not very surprising though. He's a man-whore and she's had a crush on him since...forever."

He laughed imaging the faces on her family when they found out. "Albus is going to flip out."

She grew pale and grabbed her boyfriend's arm. "DON'T tell him. Don't even think about it!"

"All right. Are you done studying?"

"Yes, just about. Why?"

"I know this closet..."

"NO! NO CLOSETS!" She looked hysterical. She did not need to see anymore of the stuff she had witnessed moments before.

"Alright, alright. I think you just need some sleep. Too much studying."

"Well we could go up to the common room." They both smiled. If only Lily knew that her and Lorcan kissing was as uncomfortable to watch as Rose and Scorpius.

* * *

Well this chapter was not as good as, or as long as the others, but it IS a chapter :) Sorry it took three months for me to post a new one...I just really have no excuse this time. No idea when to expect the next one. I'm traveling for the next few weeks and won't be back until August, so don't expect it at least until then. I'll see what I can do.

July fourth was kinda like this chapter for me...awkwardly waiting for two of my friends to stop kissing...very awkward indeed.

Right-O! Have a great summer :)

~Lavender

P.S.-Thank you everyone who has commented or added to alerts and favorites :)


	11. A Seriously Serious Secret

Scorpius woke up at six o'clock in the morning on the following Saturday and smiled. This is profound because of the loathing he had for weekend morning. He usually refused to get out of bed until noon. Today, however, was special. He had a date.

Scorpius rolled out of bed, stretched, and grabbed his towel and shampoo and headed off to the showers.

* * *

Albus woke up at exactly seven o'clock, like he did every day, and shivered, which was only expected as it was only October and he lived in a dungeon.  
Albus jumped out of bed and instead of a freezing cold stone floor, landed on a muttering Scorpius clad only in some dark green silk boxers embroidered with golden snitches.

"Finally gone mad old chap?" Teased Albus.

"No," groaned Scorpius. Half from pain, half from frustration. "I have nothing to wear."

"BWHAHAHAHA! You sound like a girl on her first date!"

"Don't laugh Al, it's true!"

"Wait," Albus narrowed his eyes. "You're going on a date?" His devious plans for Scorpius and Rose seemed to crumble before his eyes. How dare Scorpius ruin his plans for another girl!

"No! No date! Just have to look erm, nice! For-for...the ladies!" Scorpius replied quickly, almost too quickly. Had Albus been more awake and not as distracted by the euphoria of his "secret" plot still being intact, he would have noticed Scorpius' face was few shades redder than normal.

After much arguing, shouting, and a few jinxes from the other members of the dorm dealt along with pleas to "shut the bloody hell up," Scorpius entered the Great Hall in a pair of khaki slacks and a dark blue sweater.

"OOOH! There's Rosie! She's never up this early! Save me a seat, I'll be there in a second."

Scorpius looked helplessly at the back of his best friend as he raced over to Rose to say good morning. He sighed and sat down, putting an emerald green napkin on the bench next to him to save a spot for Albus. He risked a glance over to the Gryffindor table and smiled when he saw Rose. She was wearing a dress. It was really pretty on her too, it was a knee length dark green dress that looked amazing with her hair.

He would have been able to describe it more in detail had she not put her robes on over it. Scorpius could tell that the robes were the reason Lily and Albus seemed to be arguing with her. She caught his eye and he smiled at her and winked.

* * *

Rose turned red. Bright red.

"What?" Asked Albus.

"Oh, nothing." Replied Rose. "I'm done arguing with you two. It's cold. The robes stay on,"

"Fine! But how will he like you if you leave our robes on? He won't see how pretty you look." Albus muttered as he stomped back over to his table in defeat.

"Never mind Rose. Keep them on. I saw him wink." Lily whispered, consoling her nervous cousin.

Rose turned red again. "Wait-how did you know who…" she thought, James said he wouldn't tell…"

James saw Rose blush and laughed at her. "Why so red Rosy-Posie? You got a date?"

Rose blanched. He would give away the secret! "No, no date. Heh heh. Not today." James would have noticed something was up had that girl not sat down right next to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Lily panicked and yelped, "NOT AGAIN!" before racing off, only to be followed by an extremely concerned boyfriend.

"Really James? During breakfast?" Rose growled at her ridiculously whorish cousin.

James would have stuck his tongue out at her was he not having his face sucked off.

* * *

Miraculously, both Rose and Scorpius had been able to evade Albus once they arrived at Hogsmeade and had made their way to the last row of shelves in the back of the book store.

"You look beautiful Rose." Scorpius said as he took her hand.

"Thanks Scorpius. You don't look half bad yourself."

"Oh, thanks. It was nothing." If by nothing he meant, 12 shouting matches, 32 different outfits, and 13 jinxes from annoyed bystanders.

"I just..." Rose trailed off.

"What's wrong?" Scorpius was a little worried what if she decided he was a mistake?

"I just wish we could be a normal couple and not have to hide it. I mean, I know we have to because my dad would, well, explode, and the rest of my family, I mean the adults of course, us kids accept you as our own, would totally freak out, and I just can't deal with that! I'm only a teenager! And I don't want the kids to know because even if they approved they might let something slip, also I don't want them to have to lie because they knew about it and didn't tell anyone, that's just not fair."

"Rose, calm down." Scorpius hugged her until she stopped feeling like she was going to hyperventilate.

"I'm sorry I'm just so worried."

"Well, we could always not, you know, date..."

"WHAT? NO. That's not what I'm saying! Of COURSE I want to date you, I'm just saying I'm sorry for all the spy tactics."

"Oh, it's fine. Really it's kind of fun." He smiled reassuringly.

"It's going to get old fast." Rose sighed. Why did her life have to be so complicated? She could never win.

"Well we'll figure something out eventually."

"Yeah, I hope so." She rested her head against his chest and they stood there among the books, comfortable in each other's arms.

"So would you like to escort me to this place I know for a butter beer?" Scorpius asked her after a few moments.

"I get to escort you?" Rose laughed.

"Well, you get to follow me sneakily while I lead you to it."

"Alright." She laughed again and followed behind Scorpius about twenty paces out of the bookshop and to The Witch's Newt.

* * *

A/N:

Hey guys! So it's November. Oops. X( So sorry it took two months to get an update! I've been super busy with school. For some reason my English and History teachers really like to pile on the homework. So that's what I've been doing...oh, plus marching band, driving lessons, and awaiting Glee with Darren Chriss :D SOOOO Excited. If you are a Harry Potter fan, which you probably are seeing as how you're reading a FAN fiction about Harry Potter, go to youtube and look up A Very Potter Musical. You will die laughing, or at least laugh so much you cry :D

So anyways, thank you guys so much for still reading this even though I'm a sketchy updater. Not someone to depend on. Sorry again for taking forever, maybe this time it won't take so long?

Lavender

P.S.- .com/cgi/set?id=33181731 Rose's outfit

.com/scorpiuss_outfit/set?id=33182225 Scorpius's Outfit


	12. The Absence of Grandchildren

Hermione shrugged on her coat and gratefully accepted her husband's hand as they walked out into the swirling winter air. They chatted amiably as they walked down a side street in Hogsmeade.

"How was you dinner Mrs. Weasley?"

"Perfectly acceptable. And yours Mr. Weasley?"

"Excellent. Best anniversary dinner in years."

"In twenty years?"

"No, that first one is still my favorite."

"Oh you better be joking Mr. Weasley."

"I like my homemade pizza burnt!"

"And on fire?"

"Pish-posh, you can cook much better now. "

His wife glared at him, but reached out and began rubbing his nose.

"Oi! What's that for?"

She smirked at him. "You had something on your nose."

He rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around his wife in a bear hug. She sighed into his chest and returned his embrace. How lucky she was to have him in her life for so long.

"Hang on a sec, isn't that Rose?" Ron squinted at the figure that he assumed to be his only daughter. "And she's with some boy..."

Hermione's eyes sprung open and she made an instinctual move to grab her wand.

"Don't worry honey," he gently pushed her arm down. "It's just that Malfoy boy. What was his name again...? Scorpio? Scar? Scorpius! She'll be fine."

"Ron?" Hermione stared at him as if he had grown an extra head or two.

"What?"

"They're holding hands."

"Yeah, so?"

"They're on a date."

"Yeah, better than that McLaggen bloke, thank Merlin she inherited the distaste for idiots from us."

"B-b-but Ron." Tears began to well up in Hermione's eyes. "My little girl is too young to have boyfriends."

It was Ron's turn to stare, "Sweetie, she's got to grow up sometime...and didn't she date Charles, or was it Jake... for a month last year?"

Hermione started sobbing and Ron immediately wrapped his arms back around her. "Ron, I'm not old enough to have grandchildren yet."

Ron laughed darkly into her shoulder, "Well if it gets to that then we'll really have a problem." He glanced up at the rapidly approaching, yet ridiculously oblivious figures that were his daughter and assumed boyfriend. "We should go honey, we shouldn't embarrass her." He shepherded her into a small dark alley and they disapperated home.

* * *

"Did you see that?" Scorpius asked Rose.

"Huh?" Rose was much too distracted by the fact that he was holding her hand in the snowy street to notice anything.

"A couple just disappeared into that alley over there." Scorpius frowned. Was it him or were they watching them a second ago? That's ridiculous.

"So?" Rose asked. It wasn't odd to see people disapperating, they were in a wizarding village after all.

"I just thought they might have been watching us, but probably not. I guess I'm a little paranoid."

"I hope not. How weird would that be? Creepy." She shivered, and it wasn't the cold.

"We should be getting back anyways." He said sadly. He hated to leave the village, the one place they could hold hands and look into each other's eyes without the whole school having a conniption.

Rose sighed but trudged on through the lightly falling snow holding her boyfriend's hand. "Boyfriend," she thought to herself. "I, Rose Weasley, bookworm extraordinaire, queen tomboy of Hogwarts, have a boyfriend. And a damn hot one at that." A small smile spread across her face as she thought about the absurdity of it all.

They held hands until they could barely see the carriages ahead of them in the distance. Scorpius pulled his giggling girlfriend into an alleyway. Her breath caught in her chest as he took both her hands in his.

"I've had a smashing time Rose, and I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want to do this again. Do you agree my sweet?"

She laughed and shoved his shoulder playfully. "Only if you stop talking like a fruit."

"Absolutely my dear, but I'm frightfully worried that you're insinuating that I'm conversing in a manner similar to your dear, but unfortunately barmy cousin."

Rose burst into laughter again then suddenly Scorpius pulled her into a hug and whispered in her ear. "Dinner in the kitchens tonight?"

"Eight o'clock. I'll be waiting." She whispered back. They stood there with their arms wrapped around each other as long as they could. When they heard Hagrid's booming voice in the distance they broke apart reluctantly and trudged to the carriages, Scorpius walked a great deal away from Rose as to not drawn certain gossips' suspicions.

Rose snagged a carriage with a couple of girls from her dorm.

"Afternoon Rose." Delilah smiled cordially at her.

"Hey Delilah." Delilah was the only girl in Rose's year in Gryffindor that she could actually stand to talk to longer than 15 minutes. "Did you have a nice time in Hogsmeade?"

"Of course! I bought a few new products from your family's shop. I really like the cotton candy flavored quills. They remind me of the carnival my dad used to take me to. It had the pinkest, fluffiest cotton candy I've ever seen."

"I like the peppermint ones the most. Peppermint is actually supposed to stimulate your concentration so they're really good for tests."

Rachel, the blonde obnoxious one next to Steffeny, the brunette obnoxious one, gave a nasty laugh. "Of course you would like those nasty things. And for the nerdiest reason too."

Rose just rolled her eyes. It's not like she needed to start something with this shallow foul jerk anyways. "Did you see then new music players?"

"Yeah! I love them. My dad said he'd get me one for my birthday if my grades were good enough. That's the one thing I can't stand about going to school. I mean, the radio's fine, but sometimes I want to pick my own music."

Rose smiled and agreed with her. Rachel started up a conversation about her "amazing new dress" so Rose tuned them out. They were at the school in a matter of minutes so the torture didn't last long.

* * *

**Pfft, it's ONLY May. Sorry D: Junior year is pretty hard. Plus I had two AP classes, so it was extra hard. Thankfully the tests for those are finally done :D**

**You can expect some more regular updates from me now. I'm not going anywhere for very long over the summer AND I'm taking a creative writing class, so if anything my writing will get better :)**

**Reviews are greatly appreciated. Also, the "that girl" with James from the previous chapters is just one girl. Something very prevalent in this story is the misconception of people and relationships. People just can't get their stories straight. James and "that girl" have their own story, feel free to look it up on my page! But it's totally not required.  
**

**~Lavender**


	13. Jam Allergies

"Good morning Al." Scorpius sat down next to his best friend and helped himself to the platter of toast and eggs in the middle of the table.

"Ger' murmurph." Albus said through a mouth full of food. Scorpius rolled his eyes. Sometimes he couldn't believe how unmannered the youngest Potter boy could be.

"Enjoy yourself at Hogsmeade?"

"Yeah. Didn't see you though. Where'd you run off to?" Albus asked in-between draining a glass of pumpkin juice and stuffing another bit of toast slathered with jam in his mouth.

"Looking for some new books in the book store."

Albus scoffed "For six hours? Are you also not aware that we have one of the largest libraries in the world?"

"Well yes, but there was this new book and the library didn't have it and it was really interesting."

"Oh really." Albus narrowed his eyes. "What was it about then?"

"This really interesting case that happened like 400 years ago but the thing is..."

Albus cut him off. "Never mind. I just remembered I have an essay to write for Binns. I'll save the being bored to death until then. A man can only die of boredom so many times a day."

Scorpius smiled and nodded, relieved he did not have to tell Albus about the fictional case. He was also relieved that he would have several hours of free time while Albus struggled to write his essay. History of Magic was not exactly a subject Albus excelled in. And seeing as how Scorpius had finished his essay three days ago he would have time for "other" activities.

"What did you do in Hogsmeade?"

Albus gave a devilish grin. "I acquired not one, but two interesting tidbits for my blackmail folder."

"And people wonder why you were put in Slytherin. Care to share?"

"Nope. My blackmail is my blackmail. Made the mistake when I was younger to share my blackmail with my brother and then he used it against me."

"Who is it about then?"

"My cousin Victorie and my dear old brother Jamesy."

"Victorie? She doesn't even go here anymore. Why get something on her?"

Albus leaned in and whispered. "She missed her period three weeks ago."

Scorpius looked at Albus like he was crazy. "Why do you know this?"

"Her and her best friend were at The Three Broomsticks. I overheard."

"You know that's not really black mail considering she's married and all."

"So?" Albus smiled happily. "I'm going to be an uncle, Scorpius!"

"But Teddy's not your brother he's your cousin by marriage."

"My mum and dad practically raised that boy! He's as much my brother as James. You obviously don't know how us Weasleys work. If you're alone in the world but have even just one of us as a friend, you're a Weasley. Even my dad's family had this tradition. My great-grandparents pretty much adopted Sirius Black when his parents abandoned him for being sorted into Gryffindor."

"Great." Grumbled Scorpius. "So my family has a tradition of abandoning you if you're different."

"Well," grinned Albus, "You could always marry Rose. Then you'd be half Weasley." He paused to refill his glass with pumpkin juice. "Why's your face all red?"

"Umm, umm...I think I'm allergic to the jam. I'm gonna go run up to the hospital wing to make sure it's not too serious."

"Umm...okay?" Albus said as Scorpius streaked past him as if a Hungarian Horntail was after him. Albus shrugged and hoped his friend wasn't in too much pain. He walked over to the Gryffindor table to talk to Rose and Lily before class started.

"Good morning ladies."

"Good morning Albus." The two girls chorused, joined by a couple other random relatives as well.

"Where'd Scorpius go in such a hurry? And why was his face bright red?" Lily asked.

"He's allergic to apricot jam or something. He went up to the hospital wing." Rose got a look of panic on her face and bolted out of the Great Hall.

"Bloody hell. Why are my friends so strange?" He questioned his sister. She just raised an eyebrow. "Wait a minute...Scorpius isn't allergic to apricot jam. That fucking liar!" Albus tried to run out of the Great Hall too but both his siblings held him down.

"Cool your jets you loon." James let go of his arm.

"Did you not know?" Asked Lily.

"Know what? That Scorpius is a dirty li-MERLIN'S SAGGY Y-FRONTS." A look of comprehension dawned on Albus' face. "I bet he wasn't at the bookstore all day yesterday either. He MUST have been with a girl. That's why he got all red faced when I suggested that he marry Ro-"

Albus was suddenly quiet. He started shaking his head. "No. No, they couldn't have. No. It's just impossible. They're both too dense. Neither one could ever figure it out." He looked at Lily. She nodded her head.

"Oh but they did big brother. Or should I call you Al-the-omnipotent-unless-it's-the-obvious-relationship-and-sexual-tension-between-his-two-best-mates?"

"Just Al will be fine."

James was shocked too. He'd never seen his brother insulted without a witty comeback.

"Come on." James pulled Albus off the bench and dragged him out of the Great Hall down to the Slytherin common room. "What's the password?" Albus just looked at him with a shocked expression so James had to stop a fifth year and made her give him the password. James propped Albus on a couch and waited until his brother started talking again.

"They…they." Albus stuttered. "They didn't need me. They figured it out by themselves. And then lied to me about it." He frowned. HOW DARE THEY. They were his best friends. If he couldn't trust them to tell him the truth then who could he trust?

"They've lied to all of us Albie." James consoled him. "Some of us just knew when to call bullshit. And others had magical maps…" He shrugged. "We all thought you knew already. Hell we figured you started it."

"No. No, I tried to start it. But I guess I took too long…or succeeded?" He sighed. "How long has this been going on anyways?"

"As far as we can estimate, a couple weeks, possibly a month."

"What's up with you and that girl?" Albus remembered seeing James snogging her a couple times the last weeks and James wasn't one that stayed with one girl for long.

James shrugged but smiled. "Oh, nothing much."

"Oh really?" Albus raised his eyebrows. "Because that kiss this morning was not nothing. You wouldn't do that in the Great Hall with just anyone."

"Okay, fine. So she's my girlfriend." James' smile grew wider.

"I've never seen you this happy about one of your girlfriends. Usually you get tired of them in a week. I've been seeing you with her for a couple weeks."

"Yup."

"And you didn't tell anyone because…?"

"Because our family is huge and I'll take every bit of privacy I can get thanks. Also no one has asked me. Which is a little weird."

"We figured she'd be gone soon. Didn't want to get too attached."

"Your lack of faith in me is very depressing."

"Well, your track record is strong evidence."

"My feelings for her should be strong evidence otherwise."

"All right, all right. Don't get your knickers in a twist." Albus smiled. "When do I get to meet her then?"

"When ever, as long as you don't scare her away."

"Who me?" Albus laughed evilly and James smacked him.

* * *

**What's this? An update? IMPOSSIBLE.**

**Sorry! I've had SAT/prom/end of the year crap. Teachers just loooove giving us projects that take forever but are pointless.**

**Ron's reaction last chapter will be explained later, but keep in mind he's gone a bit soft over the years and not quite the fiery redhead he was before.**

**~Lavender**


	14. Cake Does Not Solve Problems

Rose Weasley yawned and rubbed her eyes. She was up late thinking about her date with Scorpius the night before so she decided to take a nap after "talking" to Scorpius for a while. Glancing at the clock she saw that it was lunchtime. Sighing, Rose rolled out of bed and put up her hair using a hair band from around her wrist. Almost as soon as Rose walked into the common room she was pulled aside by Lily and James, who were both obviously concerned.

"Rosie!" Lily huffed out of breath. "We've been looking for you all over! Where have you been."

"Sleeping." Her cousins gave her a disbelieving look.

"SLEEPING?" James exclaimed. "MERLIN WOMAN! Your best friend is super upset-because of you-and all you've been doing is sleeping."

"Albus is upset? What for?"

"You and Scorpius." Lily whispered into her ear.

Rose shook her head, "What are you talking about, Me and Scorpius?"

"Oh cut the crap Rosie, we ALL know about you and your little boyfriend."

Rose's eyes grew twice as big as normal and she became very, very red.

"Not all of us." Lily corrected. "Just the more perceptive of us."

James waved his hand, "Not that it matters because you didn't tell your best friend and now he's in a right state."

"It can't be that bad." Rose reasoned. "He wanted it to happen in the first place."

"He's in the kitchens eating chocolate cake."

Rose's eyes widened again, this time in horror. Apparently it _was_ that bad. "I'll go talk to him." Rose sprinted out of the common room, down numerous flights of stairs, past the Hufflepuff common room, nearly running into a third year, and to the familiar portrait of fruit. She tickled the pear and ran into the kitchen.

"FORK DOWN ALBUS."

Albus dropped his fork in surprise. He looked up and saw Rose, glaring he looked back down to his fourth piece of triple layer chocolate cake. "What do you want?" He asked with a mouth full of frosting.

"To tell you something."

"What." Albus looked blankly in the direction of his cousin.

"I'm dating Scorpius."

"You don't say." Albus stabbed his cake too forcefully and scraped the plate.

"I do. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but in my defense, our first date was yesterday, you can't _really_ be dating someone until you've been on one can you?"

"You've still been hanging out without telling me."

Rose raised an eyebrow, "Oh, so you're my mother now? Am I twelve again?"

"No." Albus huffed and set his fork down. "Look, you should have told me you were snogging my best friend. Especially because then I would have been able to stop making intricate plans and would have noticed that my own brother had somehow managed to get a girlfriend."

Rose laughed. Albus stared at her. "Oh, you weren't joking…James has a girlfriend? Okay, I'm officially oblivious, but how the hell did that happen? And when?"

"A couple weeks. She's very nice. A Gryffindor a year below us."

"What? Really…not Holly?" She winced hoping someone sharing her blood wouldn't dare touch that stuck-up drama queen.

"No, Lisa Woodward."

Rose had to think hard to remember the girl he was talking about. "OH! That girl. She's really quiet…how did that happen? And didn't she hex him in the Great Hall in the beginning of the year?"

"Yeah, she did…I forgot about that. Don't know how. That was beautiful." The two cousins shared a laugh.

"So, I'm sorry about not telling you. Will you forgive me, Albus?"

"Of course cousin mine, all you had to do was ask." He gave her a hug.

Rose pointed to the dirty plate in front of him, "No more of that." He pouted.

"But it's so good."

"Not for dealing with your problems, we've talked about this before. Don't turn to cake in times of need. All it does is make you even more upset and less agile for Quidditch."

Albus sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes mother." Rose swatted him on the back of the head as they walked out of the kitchens back up to the Gryffindor common room.

* * *

Albus arrived in the Great Hall for dinner with the complete contingent of Weasleys: all ten at Hogwarts, plus two Scamanders, and one Woodward. So all in all it was a particularly normal day at Hogwarts. Scorpius looked up from the Slytherin table and noticed his best friend was sitting at the Gryffindor table, which was again, fairly normal for Albus. Scorpius got up and went over to sit by Albus, as he normally did in this situation. He walked up to sit next to Albus and James, Albus slid over to force him to sit in between him and Rose instead.

Scorpius looked at him and Albus smiled smugly. "He knows…" He thought. "I shouldn't have pretended to be allergic to jam…"

Albus leaned over and whispered to him, "You've got some explaining to do mister." Scorpius nodded and continued to load his plate up with baked ham and mashed potatoes.

"OI, Scorpius," James yelled past Albus, "Meet my girlfriend, Lisa."

"When did that happen…not another confundus charm I hope." James glared at him but Scorpius smiled and waved to the quiet brunette next to James.

"No one saw that happening actually." Said Rose. "I was surprised at least."

"James gets all the luck." Grumbled Hugo from across the table.

"Well maybe if you talked to a few more girls you weren't related to you'd find someone."

"UGH, I know Rose. But I'm shy."

"Come on, where's that Gryffindor courage?" Teased Scorpius.

"Courage has nothing to do with talking to girls, its all charm, and I have none."

"I could help you sometime." Offered Scorpius.

"I'll be your wingman!" Albus added.

Hugo laughed and accepted before returned to stuffing his face. The rest of dinner passed uneventfully and they all left feeling satisfied. Rose and Scorpius sneaked away from the group when they passed a small enclave.

They sat down on the bench against the wall and Scorpius wrapped his arms around Rose.

"So Albus finally figured it out?" Scorpius asked.

"Yeah, the whole allergic to jam thing tipped him off."

Scorpius groaned, "Merlin, I'm an idiot, I can't believe I thought he'd buy that."

"Well, he would have figured it out sooner or later."

"He hasn't told anyone else has he?" Scorpius still didn't think the world was quite ready for their relationship.

"No, but Lily and James already knew. James has the map and apparently Lily saw us in the library once."

"That must have been awkward for her." Scorpius laughed.

"She totally deserves it. Her and Lorcan are forever making people feel awkward in the common room."

"Oh really? How so?"

Rose smirked. "Like this." She reached around Scorpius' neck and pulled him close. She sucked on his bottom lip and he smiled before kissing her back.

* * *

**Well there you go! Another chapter, and so soon after the last one! You must be super lucky ;)**

**I've still got a couple more finals so my stressing won't end until next week, but after that I've got ALLLLLLLLL summer! Woo! I'm more than a little excited for summer to be here. Looking forward to the fall too...and marching band, because let's face it, that shits pretty awesome :D**

**Feel free to check out my other stories :3 or review and make me super happy and more motivated to write the next chapter ;) How's that for a bribe?**

**~Lavender**


	15. On The Train Home

Rose looked around her bed one last time to be sure she hadn't forgotten to pack anything. Not that she would. She made a checklist.

"Rose." Lily called from the door. "Hurry up! We're late for breakfast."

"I'm coming." Rose closed the lid of her neatly packed trunk. "I had to make sure I didn't forget anything."

"Like your checklist would let you do that." Rose charmed her checklists to roll up and smack her on the head if she forgot anything. "You should really show Uncle George that charm. It'd be great for the shop."

"I did in August. They start selling them at the beginning of the New Year while the need to have a list of things to accomplish is still a priority for people."

"Sneaky."

"Not sneaky," Rose huffed. "It's good marketing."

"Whatever." Giggled Lily. "How's the pet snake?"

"He has a name." Rose said rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, a bloody weird one."

"His family has a tradition of naming their children after constellations-Draco, Sirius, Andromeda, and so forth."

Lily laughed at her again. "Just answer my question."

"He's fine. He's not particularly looking forward to the break because he knows he has to tell his parents. And how is Lorcan NOT a weird name?"

"He's Aunt Luna's kid, what do you expect?"

"I suppose she wouldn't name him Jerry or Bob."

"Those are normal to you?" Lily snorted.

"More normal than Lorcan." Rose shot back.

"Yes, and more normal than Scorpius. Can we just agree that our boyfriends have weird names and go to breakfast? Please?"

"Fine." Rose tossed her list on her bed and followed her auburn-haired cousin down to the Great Hall. The butterflies in Rose's stomach were going crazy. How could she tell her parents in a manner that wouldn't make them want to kill Scorpius? No matter how bad she felt though, Rose knew Scorpius would have it worse.

"Good morning, Al." Rose and Lily said as they sat down at their house table. He was sitting next to James and was stuffing his mouth full of toast.

"Geerd merffng." He swallowed. "Scorpius is still re-packing."

"Re-packing." Rose looked confused.

"Yup. At about twelve o'clock this morning he decided he did not in fact want his parents to kill him or disown him and decided he just wouldn't tell them yet. I told him to shut the hell up and go back to bed. He was severely sleep-deprived; wasn't thinking straight. Don't hold it against him."

"I won't." Rose sighed. "Why were you two up so late anyways?"

"Talking." Albus said simply. Scorpius sat down next to Rose. He had bags under his eyes and his hair was especially messy.

"Good morning." He said and he kissed her cheek. Rose started at him with a deer in the headlights expression. Hugo grew very red all the sudden.

"HOLD ON." He shouted. "BACK UP. WHAT WAS THAT?"

"Nothing." Rose said quickly.

"THAT WASN'T "NOTHING." ROSE, DAD IS GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"Do you really need to shout?" She growled.

"No." Huge glared at her. "Are you crazy?"

"No." Rose said. "I'm quite sane, and happy, by the way. So glad you're concerned about that."

"Well I'm soooo glad your life is all rainbows and butterflies," Hugo replied sarcastically. "I doubt Dad will care about that very much."

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, now shut up and eat your toast." She snapped.

Albus and Scorpius endured this particular scene of brotherly and sisterly love in silence. Albus didn't like fighting, and Scorpius was sitting there wishing a dragon would swoop down and eat him for breakfast because that'd be a lot less awkward. Rose turned back to them scowling with her cheeks red from the heat of the argument.

"Sorry about that." She mumbled. Scorpius held her hand under the table, and suddenly she didn't want to kill Hugo anymore.

* * *

How was he going to tell his parents? Send them a card maybe? From Mexico? Scorpius doubted his father would be able to find him in Mexico, or anywhere in the Americas. Portkeys aren't that expensive, there's some money in his vault that his father didn't know about, from that newspaper job he took last summer that his father didn't know about.

You know, his father wasn't THAT perceptive, maybe he could avoid telling him until they broke up, or got married. Scorpius imagined Rose walking down the aisle in a white dress and decided the second one sounded better. OR! They could run away to Mexico, get married, and THEN tell their parents. Scorpius wondered how fast it'd take Rose to shoot down that plan. 'A minute, tops,' he decided. He sighed. This plan thing was going terribly. If he didn't have one though, he'd just shout it out randomly, possibly while they were still in the vicinity of Rose and her parents and that wouldn't go well. That wouldn't go well _at all_.

"Scorpius, are you all right?" Rose was sitting right next to him; of course she'd notice he seemed to be arguing with himself in his head.

"I don't know how to tell them in a way that wouldn't end badly." He sighed and rested his head on her shoulder. "You're smart, can you help me?" He put on a puppy-dog face, just in case.

Rose laughed. "Just tell them you're seeing someone and that it's too early to meet them."

"They'd ask who it is."

"Don't tell them."

"But then they'd hire someone to find out who it is."

"So tell them you'll tell them later, and then find something extremely important to do that you forgot about until that moment."

Scorpius looked up at her. "That might work. You're brilliant." He kissed her.

"Aww, come on, seriously guys?" Complained Hugo. He was sitting across from them playing exploding snap with Albus. "I'm fine with you dating but I see enough of that kissing stuff with Lily and Lorcan."

"Sorry." Rose blushed, but she looked so cute that Scorpius just had to kiss her again.

"Seriously? I'm going to go find the snack cart." Hugo slammed the compartment door shut behind him.

Albus wiggled his eyebrows at the couple. "I'll just leave you two alone then." He paused dramatically. "I have some business to take care of." He swept out of the compartment and promptly ran into a third year. Scorpius and Rose could hear him apologizing through the glass, but soon ignored him.

"Have you figured out how to tell your parents yet?" Scorpius asked.

Rose sighed with frustration. "I guess I'm just going to tell them, I'll have to work up the courage though."

Scorpius smiled. "You're a Gryffindor, you'll be fine."

"I hope so." Albus walked back in.

"Your business didn't take very long." Scorpius commented. Albus wordlessly grabbed his invisibility cloak out of his bag and stepped out of the compartment again.

"I don't want to know," decided Rose. Albus was out of the compartment for almost the rest of the time and Hugo had gotten sidetracked with some friends so Rose and Scorpius spent the last few hours before their time apart very much alone with each other.

Albus burst into the compartment moments before the train pulled into the station. "Hey you two!" He was grinning goofily for some reason. "Ready for break?"

"No." They groaned simultaneously. Hugo walked in to grab his bags.

"Mom and Dad are in their usual spot," he told Rose.

"I'll be there in a few minutes." She winced. Rose was not looking forward to this winter holiday.

* * *

**This chapter took FOREVER to write, but I'm pretty pleased with it! I hope you are too! Also, who else is excited for the last movie? I'm seeing it at midnight because I'm just that BAMF. We'll see how the whole telling the parents thing goes in the next few chapters XD**

**I'll see you back here soon, I PROMISE!**

**~Lavender  
**


	16. Parents: Smarter Than You Think

Rose ran up to her room and hid as soon as was humanly possible. She was still in there under the pretense of unpacking her trunk. She heard a knock on her door and cursed under her breath.

"What Hugo?"

"It's not Hugo," Rose heard her father reply, "May we come in?"

More cursing. They were going to disown her! Merlin what was she going to do? Maybe she could jinx Hugo and distract them while she made a run for it.

"Rose?"

"Yeah, fine. Come in." SHIT.

Hermione sat down on her daughter's bed and fluffed the pillow next to her nervously. Ron chose to stay close to the door.

"Umm, what's up?" Rose asked quietly cursing the fact that her father was blocking her escape.

"We saw you with that boy, what's his name...?" Ron started.

"Scorpius." Her mum answered. Why did her eyes look all misty?

"Uhm, haha,...where?"

"Hogsmeade. You two appeared to be on a date and… Rose, why do you look so terrified?"

_"Please don't disown me!" _She cried.

"Umm, alright." Ron shifted uncomfortably. Why did women always have to be so damn confusing. "Rosie we would never disown you for something like this! We like Scorpius. Although if it were someone like McLaggen then we might consider disowning you."

"RON."

"Okay, _fine_. We wouldn't disown you, just be very disappointed. Us Weasleys and Malfoys buried the hatchet quite a few years ago."

"Then why is mum crying?"

"Well, that's the real problem. We don't want any umm…_mishaps…surprises…_I know your mum has given you this talk before, Rosie, but it's important that you know to use protection."

_OH MERLIN. _

* * *

Scorpius managed to avoid his parents for well over two days. Not that this was a particularly difficult thing to do considering his father practically lived at his office and his mother was always busying herself with "society." His grandmother arrived from France on his third day back for Christmas dinner, which meant they would all actually have to eat together as a family.

Scorpius happily let his father prattle on about his business and pretended along with his grandmother to care about all the latest gossip his mother provided for them.

"Scorpius." Narcissa said quickly, before Astoria had a chance to inform them of _another_ scandal. "How have you been?"

"Just fine, Grandmother. I've been studying for exams and practicing quidditch mostly."

"Studying more than practicing, I hope." His father said while giving him a stern look. "I expect mostly O's on your exams at the end of term. No more fooling around, you're much too old for that."

"Oh nonsense," scoffed his grandmother. "Have some fun! Go to a party or two. Meet some girls." She winked at him. Scorpius chocked a little on his carrots. Grandmothers shouldn't wink after they say something like that.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" His mother asked him.

"Well…" Scorpius grimaced inwardly. He was hoping to hold off on the subject for a couple more days, maybe even use Rose's plan and not tell them until he was already on the train… "There is a girl."

"Scorpius!" Exclaimed his mother. "Why did you not tell me earlier?"

"Well…"

"Oh I simply can't wait to meet her!" Narcissa gushed. Which was not something she did often, but she didn't see potential for great-grandchildren everyday.

"Well I think it's a little too early for that."

"Oh, why not?" pouted his mother. "Who is she?

Scorpius decided to use a huge bite of chicken to think about what to say. "I'd rather not say." He said after swallowing.

"Why not?" His father asked, suspicious of his son.

"Well," a sip…or three, "If it doesn't work out I don't want to get your hopes up." HA. What a joke. If it didn't work out they'd probably start dancing in the streets.

His grandmother and father nodded understandingly, but Astoria seemed put out, Scorpius hoped she wouldn't press the matter.

"So how have the horses been?" Scorpius asked his grandmother in an attempt to change the topic.

* * *

"Scorpius, I was wondering if I could talk to you in my office."

Startled, Scorpius looked up from his transfiguration textbook. "Umm, I guess so…" His father had never let him in there before. He wondered what it looked like.

It was smaller than he had thought and covered with stacks of legal books. They were everywhere. He could barely see the shelves for all the books stacked on and around them.

"Have a seat." His father took a small stack of books off the ornate chair in front of his desk. "I apologize for the mess. I have not had much time to clean lately." Draco settled into his chair and fiddled with a quill uncomfortably.

Now, Scorpius, I realize that we do not know each other very well, a result of my time consuming job and your schooling, but I was hoping that when you found a girl you were serious about you would come to me. Don't look so surprised; I know Rose means more to you than you let on at dinner last night. I also don't appreciate having to find out whom you're dating through her mother. It's quite embarrassing to find out over lunch and not know what the hell the woman was talking about.

Scorpius made a chocking noise. "You had lunch with her _mum_?"

"Well of course, we have lunch at the Leaky Cauldron every Wednesday. I admit that the Weasleys and Malfoys have never gotten along and I most certainly thought that Mrs. Weasley was an insufferable bitch at Hogwarts but people changed. Our families got over our prejudices many years ago. I must compliment you on your choice in women. I'm glad you have finally realized the value of intelligence over vanity."

"B-b-but…I though you all hated each other! You were going to disown me!"

Draco looked even more uncomfortable. "Yes, I know. That incident was how we ended the feud. The Potters and your mother and I had a very heated exchange about the matter, a couple actually. We eventually realized our parents and ancestors were the ones that had started the feud and it was quite silly to still be fighting."

"Soooo…I'm _not_ disowned."

"No. I will never threaten you with that again. I'm sorry." Draco sighed. "I know I show it in odd ways but I do love you Scorpius."

"Okay... I love you too…" Scorpius hesitated. "…Dad." It just felt weird calling him that. He had only ever called him father.

Draco smiled. "I trust Rose will not distract your from your studies. Close the door behind you, and _DON'T_ tell you mother you're dating Rose quite yet. She'll never shut up about it."

* * *

**A/N:**

Haha! An update finally...god I suck at this don't I DX Sorry!

I finally figured out what I wanted to happen, it took me FOREVER though. And then college essays and the heaps of homework everyone forgot to mention was involved with senior year sooo...yup! Most of my applications are due soon so I'll be done with all that shortly! FINALLY. Also I finally joined a sport this year and I only have one day during the week off and weekends are spent doing homework. Yaaaaay. I have no life.

But I have you :D And winter break. Which is preeetty freaking awesome so far.

The last chapter will be uploaded shortly (like a couple of minutes, not months. I PROMISE.)

I hope your holidays are all awesome! And a happy new year!

_~Lavender_


	17. Epilogue

"So they're fine." Rose said, standing on the platform in front of the scarlet train waiting to whisk them back to the castle.

"Yeah." Scorpius rubbed the back of his head. "I feel quite stupid actually. They've been over the feud since our first year."

"Why didn't we realize…?"

"Eh, we're stupid kids I guess."

"Yeah." Rose sighed; irked she had been so oblivious.

"So I guess I can do this now." He wrapped his arms around Rose and kissed her slowly.

"Yeah." Rose sighed when they drew back for air. "You can do that now…and any time you want."

"Excellent." He smirked and pulled her after him towards the train.

"Within reason!" She exclaimed exasperated, but no one would have been surprised to find she didn't mean it.

"Oh how lovely!" gushed Astoria to Hermione. "Scorpius is dating your Rose!"

"Yes, lovely." Hermione sniffed. Ron rolled his eyes and put his arm around his wife.

"Don't start dating anyone yet Hugo. You'll give your mum a conniption."

"It's not likely." Hugo frowned and lugged his suitcase onto the train after his insane sister and her equally obnoxious boyfriends. He'd have to find a new compartment now.

* * *

**A/N:**

HOLY MARY MOTHER OF GOD, IT'S OVER.

This is...odd. I've never finished a story as long as this before. I'm sorry the last chapter is so ridiculously short but I decided it was enough to tie it up.

I am most likely going to write a story that ties into this one but focuses on Hugo next. Don't hold your breath though, you know how I am -.-"

...Nope, still not used it yet.

Anyway, thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed during the course of the story and to the people that are still reading this. I'm not nearly as happy with it as I thought I'd be and may someday pull it apart and put it back together much shinier, but until then **DFTBA!**

_~Lavender_


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